Word Origin

Where do new words come from?

Borrowing from other languages
Through existing word formation processes within language
Coining - inventing new words out of nothing (rare)
Lexical borrowing (loan words)
Direct: straight from the other language
rouge, champagne (Fr.) spaghetti (!t.)
!ndirect: "orrowed via another language which "orrowed the word
from a third one
tomatl (#ahuatl) $ tomate (%p.) $ tomato
sukkar (&ra"ic) $ ucre ('ld Fr.) $ sugar
Cal(ue (a)a loan translation)
*atin Spiritus Sanctus $ +ng Holy Spirit/Ghost
Changes to words after borrowing
Changes in pronunciation (nativisation)
tomatl $ tomato
Changes to meaning (semantic shift)
+ng. cafeteria , %p. -coffee shop.
Changes to grammatical properties
spaghetti: plural count noun in !talian
(1 spaghetto, 2 spaghetti) $ a mass noun in +nglish (some spaghetti,
"ut not /2 spaghetti)
T0+ 1'2D !% 3&D+ T' F!T T0+ 24*+% &#D #++D% 'F !T%
#+1 *&#54&5+
6
Types of Word Formation
6. Compounding
7. 8refixation
9. %uffixation
:. Conversion
;. Clipping
<. Blends
=. Bac)formation
>. &cron?ms
@. !nitialism
6A. 'nomatopoeia
66. +pon?ms
1 Compo!nding
Two or more words Boined together to form a new word.
+xamples:
0ome C wor) homewor)
8ic) C poc)et pic)poc)et
T?pes of compounds:
Compound nouns e.g. "o?friendD "rea)fast
Compound ver"s e.g. over"oo)
Compound adBectives e.g. coffee ta"le
" #refixation
Class-changing prefixes:
a- asleep E to &dB
"e- "ewitch # to E
en- enslave # to E
Class-maintaining prefixes:
in- indefinite &dB to &dB
fore- foreman # to #
$ %!ffixation
%uffixes forming #ouns
# from #: -dom )ingdom
7
%uffixes forming Eer"s
E from #: -if? "eautif?
%uffixes forming adBectives
&dB from #: -al educational
%uffixes forming &dver"s: -l?D -wardD and Fwise.
& Con'ersion
&ssigning an alread? existing word to a new s?ntactic categor?.
T?pes of Conversion
Eer" to #oun: to hit a hit
&dB to #: a final game a final
# to E: a sign to sign
&dB to E: an empt? "ox to empt?
( Clipping
%hortening a pol?s?lla"ic word "? deleting one or more s?lla"les
+xamples:
5asoline 5as
0am"urger Burger
delicatessen deli
microphone mi)e
) *lends
%imilar to compoundsD "ut parts of the words are deleted.
+xamples:
3otor C hotel 3otel
Brea)fast C lunch Brunch
0igh C Fidelit? 0i-fi
%mo)e C fog %mog
+ *ac,-formations
Creative reduction due to incorrect morphological anal?sis.
9
+xamples:
editor (6<:@)
edit (6=@6)
television (6@A=)
televise (6@7=)
8aramedical (6@76)
paramedic (6@<=)
. /cronyms
1ords derived from the initial letters of several words and use them
as a new word
+xamples:
#orth &tlantic Treat? 'rganiGation
#&T'
%elf-contained underwater "reathing apparatus
%C4B&
0 1nitialism
%imilar to Acronyms "ut the initials are pronounced separatel?.
+xamples
58 (5eneral 8urpose)
4F' (4nidentified Fl?ing '"Bect)
!2& (!rish 2epu"lic &rm?)
12 Onomatopoeia
1ords created to sound li)e the thing that the? name.
+xamples
3ew
Crash
%plash
11 3ponyms _ q_o
& person after whom a discover?D inventionD placeD etc.D is named.
+xamples:
Celsius (&nders Celsius)
Bo?cott (Charles Bo?cott)
:
1dentify the type of word formation
6. !nformationD commercials !nformercials
7. Ba"?sitter "a"?sit
9. Cardigan +arl of Cardigan
:. Do C a"le doa"le
;. & catalogue to catalogue
<. Drama C comed? dramed?
=. 5ame C point game point
>. 5reen C house 5reenhouse
Blend
Bac)-formation
+pon?m
%uffixation
Conversion
Blend
Compound
Compound
Changes of 4eaning
4etaphor F using a word to refer to something that does not literall?
denoteD "ut that has some )ind of similarit? to the literal meaning:
head -"od? part a"ove the nec). $ -a person in charge. ("ased on
perceived similarit? F "oth lit and fig meanings are important parts)
baby -infant. $ -loved one.
4etonymy F using a word to refer to something that is associated with its
literal denotation:
o!ning Street -place where the 83 lives. $ -the government of
5reat Britian.
"ro!n -an item of headwear worn "? a monarch. $ -the monarch.D
-the sovereignt? of the monarch.
*roadening or 3xtension (generalisation) F a word refers to a more
inclusive categor?:
manage -to handle a horse. $ -to handle an?thing.
5arrowing (specialisation) - a word refers to a less inclusive categor?:
;
accident -an event. $ -unintendedHinBurious event.
/melioration F the meaning of a word "ecomes more positive
nice -ignorantD stupid. $ -pleasant.
fond -foolish. $ -appreciative.
#e6oration F the meaning of a word "ecomes more negative
sinister , -left(-handed).
mistress # -a woman in a position of power.
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